When Mr and Mrs Dursley woke up on the dull, grey Tuesday our story starts, there was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country. Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work and Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair.
None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window.
At half past eight, Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye but missed, because Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. ‘Little tyke,’ chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house. He got into his car and backed out of number four’s drive.
Rowling, J.K.. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Kindle Locations 53-59). Bloomsbury. Kindle Edition.
Knowledge Point
"woke up on the dull" means that someone are waking up and feeling bad, sad or drained energy.
"grey Tuesday our story starts"
⇒ "grey Tuesday (that) our story starts""...there was nothing (about the cloudy sky outside) to suggest that..."
⇒ 这里的suggest是“暗示”的意思。（暗示着神秘古怪的事情就要发生了。）
⇒ cloudy sky实在是太平常了，所以没有丝毫迹象显示出神秘而又古怪的事情就要发生了。"...strange and mysterious things would soon be happening all over the country..."
⇒ would be doing 过去将来进行时，表示就过去某一时间而言，将来某一时刻或某一段时间正在进行的动作，主要用于宾语从句中，尤其多用于间接引语中。
⇒ will be doing 将来进行时，主要表示将来某一时间正在进行的动作，或表示要在将来某一时间开始，并继续下去的动作。常用来表示礼貌的询问、请求等。"Mr Dursley hummed as he picked out his most boring tie for work..."
⇒ hum 在这里是哼（曲子）的意思。
to sing without open your mouth （但是这种哼曲是不张嘴的哦~）
⇒ as有一边……一边……之意。
He hummed as he walked."Mrs Dursley gossiped away happily as she wrestled a screaming Dudley into his high chair. "
⇒ gossip 说闲话
这里away的可以理解为“一直，持续不断地”
They were chattering away. （他们一直在聊天。）
⇒ wrestle 把…强行扭入
⇒ scream 尖叫
make a load, piercing sound
⇒ high chair 小孩子吃饭用的高脚椅子
⇒ Mrs Dursley一边饶有兴致地说着闲话，一边把正在尖叫的Dudley拽进他的高脚椅子。"None of them noticed a large tawny owl flutter past the window. "
⇒ notice sb do sth
⇒ tawny 茶色；黄褐色
⇒ flutter 震动；拍动
move back and forth very rapidly
⇒ 没有人注意到一大群黄褐色猫头鹰振翅飞过窗户。"Mr Dursley picked up his briefcase, pecked Mrs Dursley on the cheek and tried to kiss Dudley goodbye…"
⇒ 在这里Mr Dursley连续做了好几个动作，使用and连接多个动词短语来表示动作的先后顺序，后面的动作比前面的稍微迟一点发生。
⇒ briefcase 公文包
a case with a handle; for carrying pages and files or books
⇒ to peck sb on the cheek 匆匆吻一下某人的脸颊"Dudley was now having a tantrum and throwing his cereal at the walls. "
⇒ to have a tantrum 发脾气
⇒ cereal 谷物食品
cere 谷物 + al ……的
-al 像……的；有……性质；表示行为"‘Little tyke,’ chortled Mr Dursley as he left the house."
⇒ Little tyke （尤其用于亲昵的责备）小淘气
⇒ chortle 咯咯的笑
⇒ 这里的as是“当……时候”
⇒ 离开屋子的时候咯咯笑得责备到：“小淘气”。"He got into his car and backed out of number four’s drive."
⇒ get into 进入
⇒ back 在这里作不及物动词，意为“倒车”
